Gap opening up on fast broadband

Your leader (May 20) was right to identify the crucial nature of developments in fast broadband to the UK economy, society and consumers. This union's recent policy briefing, Connecting Britain's Future: The Slow Arrival of Fast Broadband, makes the case for next generation access (NGA) broadband. The government's renewed focus on fast broadband is welcome. The UK is falling behind and this will have serious consequences for our competitiveness. NGA presents exciting opportunities for the telecoms industry, for those who work in it, for consumers and for the wider commercial sector. Not only will businesses and consumers be able to carry out their existing internet usage over faster connections, but new services from both the public and private sector will evolve.

There remain important debates on the appropriate balance of public and private sector responsibility, as the roll-out of NGA would clearly require a substantial level of investment, though this would not be disproportionate in comparison to other major infrastructure projects, such as Crossrail. It's clear that Ofcom will need to create a regulatory framework which leaves scope for innovation and security for investors. Regulation must also guarantee adequate protections for the consumer, the workforce and the environment. In addition, there is still some work to be done in closing the digital divide - the gap between the 50% with broadband and the 50% who are still without access. Adrian AskewGeneral secretary, Connect